Lakers center Andrew Bynum has played just 33 minutes and taken 12 shots in the first two games of the Western Conference finals.

Lately, I cannot tell the difference between Andrew Bynum and DJ Mbenga, which is not good for the Los Angeles Lakers.

For a guy who was supposed to be the last piece to the Lakers’ championship puzzle, Bynum has turned into Mr. Irrelevant in this year’s playoffs. He has morphed into Andrew Mbenga.

Bynum, a 7-footer with a boatload of talent but a history of serious knee injuries, has been in and out of the starting lineup, and his body language is comparable to a 6-year-old who had just been denied an extra 10 minutes of playtime and told not to play on the grass area.

Bynum’s presence in the low post is paramount to the Lakers’ championship aspirations. Without him, the Lakers can get to the NBA Finals. With him, the Lakers can win an NBA championship. He cannot be a secondary player. He needs to be front and center.

During the Utah series, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson basically sent a loud and clear message to his 21-year-old pupil that the group is moving on with or without him, benching the big man and re-inserting Lamar Odom in the starting lineup.

His teammates, namely Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, know how important Bynum is to the Lakers and have tried their best to throw words of encouragement to keep him from totally falling into an abyss. He had his moments in the Houston series, including a 14-point, six-rebound performance in Game 7. But for whatever reason, he just could not stay on the court – whether it’s his own doing or Jackson’s lack of patience.

His malaise has extended through the Western Conference finals. In two games against the Denver Nuggets, he is averaging 7.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 33 minutes, and is 6-of-12 from the field. In Game 2, when Bynum jogged back on defense and allowed an uncontested shot, Jackson was so perplexed he called timeout and eventually pulled Bynum and sat him on the bench for much of the game.

Jackson wants Bynum to be a clean-up guy, meaning he needs to rebound and contest shots. In 14 playoff games, he has 53 rebounds and 13 blocked shots. Those are decent numbers if your name is D.J. Mbenga. But we’re talking about Andrew Bynum. The Lakers have invested a lot of money in Bynum, who signed a $58 contract extension for four years last October and will count $14 million on the team’s salary cap next season. Whether it’s the MCL tear or lack of confidence, Bynum is not earning his paycheck.

Until he asserts himself in this year’s playoffs and becomes a bigger factor on offense and defense, Laker fans should start calling him Andrew Mbenga.

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Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum carries Playmate Nicole Narain on his shoulders. (PLAYBOY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP)

Your name is Andrew Bynum, starting center for the most popular NBA team in the world. You’re 21 years old and live in the heart of Hollywood. But because of a bum knee, you have some free time. So, if the Playboy Mansion sends you an invitation, would you turn it down?

Any male between the ages of 18 to 75 would be insane to say “no” to see Hugh and the Bunnies. Getting invited to the Mansion is as close you’re going to getting to heaven. Getting invited to the Mansion is almost as good as seeing the President at the White House.

Johnny Drama risked life and limb by stashing himself in the trunk of Turtle’s ride to avoid security check just so he could set foot in the Mansion and live out his fantasies in the Grotto.

However, despite having said all that, the picture of Bynum carrying Playmate Nicole Narain on his shoulders doesn’t exactly paint a good picture for the Los Angeles Lakers center. He claims he is furiously rehabbing his right knee, but the perception revealed by the photograph tells a different story. It gives the impression that Bynum would rather spend his day with Playmates than with his Lakers teammates. It gives the impression that Bynum is not taking his rehab seriously.

The Los Angeles Lakers will need a healthy Andrew Bynum for the NBA playoffs.

Blogger Arash Markazi wrote: If Bynum isn’t healthy enough to play, should he be able to live out his Playboy fantasy in the meantime? Maybe, but while he’s rehabbing his injury and the Lakers play shorthanded without him, perhaps it’d be wise for him to keep a low profile and sit out a couple of pajama parties. The grotto and Playmates will still be there. The Lakers can only hope the same can be said for Bynum come playoff time.

There is certainly nothing wrong with Bynum taking time off to be with Hef and the Playmates. However, there is a time and place for that. He could do this during the offseason when he’s not on company time and when Lakers are hoping and praying for his speedy return to the court. The timing of his Playboy trip, coupled with the not-so-flattering picture, puts Bynum in a very sticky situation.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Portland has waited a year to see Greg Oden on the court.

One is a gifted scorer while the other is a major presence on defense. One is a 21-year-old who is starting his third NBA season while the other is a 20-year-old No. 1 pick who has yet to play an official NBA game. One is coming back from a broken kneecap while the other is returning from microfracture knee surgery.

Andrew Bynum and Greg Oden may play the same position but they have different personalities. Bynum looks young but once you meet him he is firm and confident. Oden looks old but once you meet him he comes off as childish and outgoing.

They do have two things in common: Bynum and Oden both command great attention and both can be classified as game-changers.

Bynum is a 7-footer with a wingspan of a condor. He has worked his way up to 285 pounds three years after the Lakers took a chance on this skinny high school kid from New Jersey.  He has shown flashes of brilliance, teasing the Lakers with numbers only reserved for all-star centers. At one point during last season, Bynum was averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and a Shaq-like 60 % shooting from the field. He was headed for a breakthrough season until his kneecap popped out of place. The Lakers are monitoring his rehab before signing him to the maximum contract of $80 million. Against Utah on Oct. 7, Bynum looked sharp on offense and seemed healthy.

Oden is a 7-footer who was already 285 pounds when he left Ohio State after one season. He was selected No. 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2007 NBA draft but missed all of last season because of a knee injury that required microfracture surgery. It is the same injury that forced Amare Stoudemire to miss a year and a half for the Phoenix Suns. However, based on what we saw in Oden’s debut on Oct. 7 at the Rose Garden (or the Garden of Oden) the big man looks strong, adding 10-15 pounds to his large frame, and ready to make an impact for the Blazers. Oden appeared determined on offense and stout on defense. His presence alone could be enough to lead the Blazers into the Western Conference playoffs.

So, if you became NBA general manager and won the lottery, which center would you take: Bynum or Oden?

The NBA loves a matchup of great big men. Wilt vs. Russell…Kareem vs. Wilt…Kareem vs. Moses…Ewing vs. Olajuwon…Olajuwon vs. Robinson…Shaq vs. Olajuwon…Shaq vs. Robinson…Shaq vs. Yao. Now, we can add “Bynum vs. Oden” to the thread.

Popularity: 11% [?]